The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

I have heard nothing but great things about this book, and I was not disappointed. A beautifully surrealistic novel, "The Night Circus" is about two magicians trapped in a competition that takes place inside the venue of a traveling nighttime circus. The chapters go back and forth in time, so we have a good sense of tension and foreboding throughout the book, without it becoming annoying or unbearable. The characters are subtle and lively, and Morgenstern's writing is original and lovely. I don't want to say too much about the plot because it is best discovered for oneself, and it is well worth discovering. What is even more impressive is that this is Morgenstern's first book, though it seems much more polished than many first attempts are, and I greatly look forward to reading her work in the future.